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I am a 78 years old Japanese model ship building enthusiast.
- Thread starter Masaaki Hikosawa
- Start date
- Watchers 22
Awesome!!
すごい！めちゃ綺麗！
- Joined
- May 26, 2025
- Messages
- 21
- Points
- 68
Dear all.
Thank you for your kind word.
You all speak Japanese very well.
I created this diorama with the aim of understanding the structure of the slipway and the cradle described in Mr. Boudriot’s book.
In particular, the cradle was difficult to understand just by reading the book, so I finally grasped it by actually building it myself.
The ship hull and human figures are at 1/87 scale.
Unfortunately, the slope of the slipway I made is too steep.
That’s a bit disappointing.
However, I believe I managed to make the cradle accurately.
Below, I’ve listed some reference materials.
The Seventy‑Four Gun Ship 1/4
Jean Boudriot
Hull Construction 64–77page
Slipway and keel blocks
Raising and horning of the timbers
Launching
Building the Wooden Fighting Ship
James Dodds, James Moore
THE BOMB VESSEL
GRANDO 1742
PETER GOODWIN
https://www.theropetokyo.org/2025/03/31/第50回ザ-ロープ帆船模型展-2-5/#50-15
Thank you for your kind word.
You all speak Japanese very well.
I created this diorama with the aim of understanding the structure of the slipway and the cradle described in Mr. Boudriot’s book.
In particular, the cradle was difficult to understand just by reading the book, so I finally grasped it by actually building it myself.
The ship hull and human figures are at 1/87 scale.
Unfortunately, the slope of the slipway I made is too steep.
That’s a bit disappointing.
However, I believe I managed to make the cradle accurately.
Below, I’ve listed some reference materials.
The Seventy‑Four Gun Ship 1/4
Jean Boudriot
Hull Construction 64–77page
Slipway and keel blocks
Raising and horning of the timbers
Launching
Building the Wooden Fighting Ship
James Dodds, James Moore
THE BOMB VESSEL
GRANDO 1742
PETER GOODWIN
https://www.theropetokyo.org/2025/03/31/第50回ザ-ロープ帆船模型展-2-5/#50-15
- Joined
- May 26, 2025
- Messages
- 21
- Points
- 68
Dear all,
This is my fifth post.
It is a cross-section model of the brig Oneida.
As with the shipyard diorama I posted previously, I created this diorama to better understand the structure of the ship's hull.
I also depicted how the cannons are secured and how the breeching rope’s ring bolts penetrate the frames.
The model includes structural elements such as the keel, false keel, frames, hanging knees, deck beams, and even the ballast materials at the bottom of the hull.
I created this using the following materials as reference:
The U.S. Brig Oneida
A Design & Operational History
by Gary M. Gibson
https://www.napoleon-series.org/military-info/Warof1812/2012/Issue19/Oneida.pdf
This is my fifth post.
It is a cross-section model of the brig Oneida.
As with the shipyard diorama I posted previously, I created this diorama to better understand the structure of the ship's hull.
I also depicted how the cannons are secured and how the breeching rope’s ring bolts penetrate the frames.
The model includes structural elements such as the keel, false keel, frames, hanging knees, deck beams, and even the ballast materials at the bottom of the hull.
I created this using the following materials as reference:
The U.S. Brig Oneida
A Design & Operational History
by Gary M. Gibson
https://www.napoleon-series.org/military-info/Warof1812/2012/Issue19/Oneida.pdf
- Joined
- May 26, 2025
- Messages
- 21
- Points
- 68
Dear everyone,
thank you for reading my post.
親愛なる 皆さん,
Shinainaru minasan
私 の 投稿 を ご覧いただき 有難う ございます。
Watashi no toukou wo goranitadaki arigatou gozaimasu
When I build my models, I make the port and starboard sides asymmetrical.
For example, the starboard side might depict the ship entering or leaving port,
while the port side shows it under sail or in the midst of a cannon battle.
私は私のモデルを作るときに左舷と右舷を非対称に作ります。
例えば、右舷は入港または出航の状態左舷は帆走中または砲撃
といった具合です。
thank you for reading my post.
親愛なる 皆さん,
Shinainaru minasan
私 の 投稿 を ご覧いただき 有難う ございます。
Watashi no toukou wo goranitadaki arigatou gozaimasu
When I build my models, I make the port and starboard sides asymmetrical.
For example, the starboard side might depict the ship entering or leaving port,
while the port side shows it under sail or in the midst of a cannon battle.
私は私のモデルを作るときに左舷と右舷を非対称に作ります。
例えば、右舷は入港または出航の状態左舷は帆走中または砲撃
といった具合です。
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- Joined
- Jun 17, 2021
- Messages
- 3,056
- Points
- 588
Agreed!
Excellent craftsmanship Sir! Thank you for sharing.
- Joined
- May 26, 2025
- Messages
- 21
- Points
- 68
Dear all,
I was recently asked a question about Japanese ships by a member of Ship of Scale. So, I’ve decided to share with you some URLs related to Japanese ships that I’m familiar with.
Some of the links are in Japanese, but please try using translation tools to read them. These days, even Japanese books I’ve introduced can be easily scanned and translated with a smartphone.
I hope this information will be of some help to you.
Wikipedia San Juan Bautista
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/サン・ファン・バウティスタ号
MIYAGI SANT JUAN BAUTISTA MUSEUM
https://www.santjuan.or.jp/multilingual_e.html
WoodyJOE San Juan Bautista
https://www.woodyjoe.com/196
Meiji Maru
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Meiji Maru Maritime Museum
https://www.kaiyodai.ac.jp/overview/facility/meijimaru/
Wikipedia Meiji Maru
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/明治丸
NIPPON MARU
https://www.nippon-maru.or.jp/english/
Wikipedia NIPPON MARU
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日本丸_(初代)
Kaiwomaru
http://www.kaiwomaru.jp/en/
Wikipedia Kaiwomaru
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/海王丸_(初代)
An explanatory book on Kitamae-bune
You can buy it on eBey by searching the following names：
“Ancient Japanese Samurai Navy Ship Boat Recreated”
What is kitamae-bune
https://en.kitamae-bune.com/about/main/
kitamae-bune Hakusanmaru
https://n-story.jp/exp-report/45/
kitamae-bune Michinokumaru
https://www.town.noheji.aomori.jp/kanko/spot/819
I was recently asked a question about Japanese ships by a member of Ship of Scale. So, I’ve decided to share with you some URLs related to Japanese ships that I’m familiar with.
Some of the links are in Japanese, but please try using translation tools to read them. These days, even Japanese books I’ve introduced can be easily scanned and translated with a smartphone.
I hope this information will be of some help to you.
Wikipedia San Juan Bautista
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/サン・ファン・バウティスタ号
MIYAGI SANT JUAN BAUTISTA MUSEUM
https://www.santjuan.or.jp/multilingual_e.html
WoodyJOE San Juan Bautista
https://www.woodyjoe.com/196
Meiji Maru
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Meiji Maru Maritime Museum
https://www.kaiyodai.ac.jp/overview/facility/meijimaru/
Wikipedia Meiji Maru
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/明治丸
NIPPON MARU
https://www.nippon-maru.or.jp/english/
Wikipedia NIPPON MARU
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日本丸_(初代)
Kaiwomaru
http://www.kaiwomaru.jp/en/
Wikipedia Kaiwomaru
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/海王丸_(初代)
An explanatory book on Kitamae-bune
You can buy it on eBey by searching the following names：
“Ancient Japanese Samurai Navy Ship Boat Recreated”
What is kitamae-bune
https://en.kitamae-bune.com/about/main/
kitamae-bune Hakusanmaru
https://n-story.jp/exp-report/45/
kitamae-bune Michinokumaru
https://www.town.noheji.aomori.jp/kanko/spot/819
Welcome and hope we give you the support and kindness you deserve and need to get to know all of us. While I have traveled extensively around the world for work and some vacations I never had the pleasure or honor of visiting Japan. I hope to visit before much longer. My youngest daughter traveled to Japan with a college singing group and had a wonderful time. She has offered to guide my wife and myself if we do go. I will visit The Rope to see what your group does. It's always good to meet new friends and learn from them.
- Joined
- May 26, 2025
- Messages
- 21
- Points
- 68
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I hope you will visit Japan someday and enjoy your time here
(Although, with your huge motorcycle, Japan’s narrow roads might be a bit of a challenge! )
こんにちは。こちらは中国の帆船マニアです。2011年から2014年までは京都大学で働きました。二年間の間、日本全土を走破し、当時現役の帆船をほぼ全て訪ねました。日本の帆船はほんまに素晴らしかったです。
Hi! I’m a sailing ship fan living in China. I worked at Kyoto university from 2011 to 2014 and spent 2 years traveling through Japan chasing the wonderful Japanese sailing ships. And I am very glad to share some of the records I took during my journey.
San Juan Bautista. This ship has been badly damaged in 2011 earthquake and tsunami and dismantled last year. I rushed to Ishimaki to take this photo of her.
Kitamae-bune, named Michinoku I recall. The ship was on display in Aomori Northern Fishery Museum which I suppose has been closed now.
Kaiwo Maru II on a special full sail display near the port of Kobe.
Unyo-maru 雲鷹丸, in the campus of Tokyo maritime university. I happened to see her masts on the high-way to Tokyo so I rushed to her for this photo.
Takase bune 高瀬舟 on display in Tachigawa museum of Saitama prefecture.
Kaiwo-maru in reserve park in Toyama-Ken I think? I spent like 3 days to reach her. Wonderful ship.
Akogare of Osaka. I think she has been sold and renamed to Miraie now.
Nippon-maru in reserve dock of Yokohama. I recall I also paid her a visit on Maritime Day when she had a full-sail display but sadly I could not find photos.
Atake-maru as a tourist boat in Tokyo bay.
Nippon-maru II found in port of Kobe.
Naniwa-maru then on display in Osaka maritime museum なにわの海の時空館. The first ship I visited in Japan because I heard the museum was closing down very soon. Now this beauty is isolated together with the museum off the shore of Osaka and impossible to visit any more.
Oh now I found the photos of Nippon-maru on ceremony!
Kanko-maru in Nagasaki. Nagasaki is my very favorite city of Japan. I visited the city 3 times. The most recent visit was May this year when I brought my 3-year old boy for his first journey outside China. I hope he will also fall in love with the beautiful city of Nagasaki.
Kaiyo-maru in remote town of Esashi Hokkaido. At the time of my visit the local Esashi rail-line was not shut down yet but it still took me one whole day to commute between Esashi and Hakodate. The ship is an actually a museum built in concrete, but the replica is so nice that it was totally worth one day’s travel.
This is a Chinese junk built for TV dramas I think. It was reserved together with Kitamae-bune.
And there was even a Viking long boat on display outside that museum.
And inside the museum there was a wonderful collection of traditional boats mostly from northern Japan. On the day of my visit there was less than a dozen visitors so I really enjoyed the museum and took tons of photos.
I think this is a local fishery boat of the Ainu people.
The first Japan-built ship in western style. The name is Hakodate-maru. I saw her very remotely from the tourist area of Hakodate so I walked for like one hour to reach her inside Hakodate port.
The traditional trading ship between China and Japan in the old times. I think this one is a model in 1/3 scale or so. It was on display in Sasebo Aquarium.
And finally Meiji-maru! During my stay in Japan she was under repair and not open to visitors, but during my later trips to Tokyo I succeeded in visiting.
This Lakatoi cargo ship of Papua New Guinea is not exactly a Japanese ship but it was reserved in Maritime Park of Okinawa. So I also post a photo of her.
少々長文になりますが、アジアの帆船の素晴らしさを伝えたいです。皆様もぜひ、日本、それにアジアの国々にお越しください。
Sorry for the very long reply but I am really exited seeing a post about Japanese ships. Hope the readers on the forum will also appreciate the beauties of sea in Asia.
帆船に花火@長崎帆船祭り2014。
Fireworks celebrating Nagasaki Sailing Ship Festival of 2014.
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Thank you for all the great photos!
Very nice, thank you!
Dear Sir,
The photos are wonderful ! I was wondering, I would love to find a kit of an old Japanese junk , large scale. Say in the 900 to 1000mm range. Could you make any suggestion where I could buy a kit like that? Thank you!
The photos are wonderful ! I was wondering, I would love to find a kit of an old Japanese junk , large scale. Say in the 900 to 1000mm range. Could you make any suggestion where I could buy a kit like that? Thank you!
Hi! To the best of my knowledge, the largest kit of Japanese junks is around 60cm. Woody Joe is the only producer of such kits.
Most of their kits can be found on Amazon by searching Woody Joe.
Thank you very much!!